Monday, May 5, 2014

Alamexo

Alamexo serves Chef Matt Lake's modern interpretation of classic Mexican fare in a contemporary setting in downtown Salt Lake City. I was in town for a work conference and this restaurant was close to our hotel. Being Cinco de Mayo, we thought it was appropriate to dine here. We did not have reservations, but went early enough that we were able to snag a great table by the corner window.

My colleagues and I each ordered the house Margarita made with hibiscus flower extract to give that rich burgundy color. The drink was not bad and a great way to get us in the mood.

We skipped on the popular table-side guacamole or any other appetizers and went straight to the entrees. I chose the Enchiladas Suizas. Roasted pulled chicken was seasoned with epazote, baked in a
tomatillo cream salsa and topped with melted queso Chihuahua,
cilantro and white onion. The serving was generous and the sauce was very bright and zippy from the tomatillo. I really enjoyed this meal and cleaned my plate. It was also served with house rice studded with pepitas and smoky refried black beans.

One colleague, JB, ordered the Mole Poblano - pulled pork seasoned with avocado leaf, baked in traditional
mole poblano, topped with queso fresco, esquites, white
onion and toasted sesame seeds. She noted that the sesame seeds added a different nutty flavor to the sauce. Another colleague, JG, ordered the Carne Asada Tacos. Nice pieces of Adobo marinated flat iron steak, melted queso Oaxaca, pico
de gallo and a very spicy salsa de arbol arrived on a plate, with fresh tortillas on the side. But he was not a fan of the "make-your-own" presentation.

To end, I was intrigued by a few of the dessert offerings but decided to pass. However, we were presented with complimentary churros. They were much more dense, perhaps undercooked in the middle, than the classic fried churros, yet had a simple cinnamon-sugar coating that was tasty. All in all, I found Alamexo to provide a very flavorful and impressive Mexican meal. Our server, Christian, was very knowledgeable about the ingredients and polite. He did not rush us, despite the anticipated crowd due to the 'holiday'. It may not be the best Mexican food I've had, but it was pretty decent for Salt Lake City.